Upper Management Types
by BranwenStoryTeller
Summary: The reaping adventures continue for Rube, Roxy, Daisy, Mason, and George, and now...a new reaper, who's about to turn their very dead worlds around.


**Dead Like Me**

**Upper Management Types**

**Chapter One: Ruining the Jane Mansfield**

Sunlight streamed through the windows of Der Waffle Haus as Georgia Lass slid into the usual booth beside Roxy. George, as she preferred to be called, shrugged off her blue coat and looked up at Rube witheringly.

"Why the early round-up, Rube? It's six o'clock in the fucking morning." Kiffany stopped by the booth, pencil poised and ready for an order. "I'll have a Jane Mansfield and tomato juice."

Mason looked over at her, brows furrowed. "Since when do you order tomato juice?"

George shrugged. "Just a craving…I guess it's a tomato juice kind of day, y'know?" Mason nodded and returned to his breakfast.

Rube began toying with his book of post-its. "I didn't call you chipper early birds in here to discuss your daily breakfast preferences. I take this job seriously, I'd like to discuss it and get the hell out of here. Now, if you all don't mind, I think we should get started." Noting that no one seemed about to complain, he continued. "Before I give you your assignments, there's something I think I should tell you before….well, right now. I've been informed that we're going to be receiving—"

Kiffany strode over with George's order. "Here ya go, sweetie. Enjoy!"

"Mmm, this looks so good…" George eyed her muffin tops eagerly. Rube glared at her, and she replied uneasily, "Receiving…?"

"Receiving. Damn it, George, I forgot what I was fucking saying. When are you going to learn to patiently listen to what someone is saying and not interrupt them?"

"Well, it couldn't have been that important if you forgot it already—"

"_Welcoming _a new reaper." Rube's voice was dangerously calm.

"What does that mean, 'new reaper'?" Daisy raised her hand slightly to catch Rube's attention.

"What do you think it means, Barbie? 'Cause it sure as hell don't sound confusing to me!" Roxy snapped malevolently.

"Well, Roxy, I'm _simply _trying to get all the facts, because Rube doesn't seem to be elaborating-"

"All right! You're all giving me a fucking migraine, so let's all of you shut up! I have something to say; I will say it, I will be done with it, and once I'm gone, you can bicker as much as you please. May I continue?" Another glance around, and Rube persisted. "Now, I don't know all the details, all I know is, they should be arriving today, and their arrival will be the beginning of some changes, good or bad, I don't know. I wanted you to come early so I could tell you all before they arrived and your simple minds wouldn't suffer from some sort of overload. Now if you please, keep all comments to yourself until I leave."

After a few moments of awkward silence, George poked her muffin. "You're lucky your bad mood didn't completely ruin my breakfast."

"To be honest, Peanut…I really don't give a fuck one way or the other." George made a face at him, but refrained from commenting. She decided she'd be better off waiting until after she met the new recruit. She had drifted off into a daydream about what the new reaper would be like, when she was rudely interrupted by an argument between Daisy and Mason.

"Come on, Daisy, Ray's out of the picture, now you have me all to yourself!"

"No, Mason. It just wouldn't work."

"Please, Daisy, I can be a real gentleman—"

"Possibly when you're sober, but you're almost never sober. I'm not interested."

"Daisy…" Mason was quickly interrupted by Daisy looking up sharply and squinting.

"Reaper. Definitely a reaper…" She murmured. George twisted around to face the door. She saw a young girl, no older than 20, walking purposefully in their direction, but not looking straight at them. She wore a long, black trench coat and chunky black boots, and had long, light brown hair and a pale complexion. Her hazel eyes scanned the restaurant, and rested upon their booth. She stopped beside their table.

"Rube?" Her gaze was focused intently on Rube. Her expression was blank, no smile, nothing. Rube, who usually extended some form of courtesy to guests, simply nodded curtly and said, "That's me."

Still unsmiling, but not outwardly frowning, she replied, "I'm Charlie."

Mason, who had visibly perked up at her arrival, said, "Charlie? Look, Georgie, another masculine-named girl! It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Mason—"

Rube interrupted Mason's ramble. "This is Charlie. She's the new reaper."

George rolled her eyes. "Thanks for clearing that one up, Rube."

Charlie quietly interjected, "Actually, I'm more…Upper Management."

Roxy spat, "Well, fuck me, how long you been doing this, honey, a few months? Already you're upper management? What's a little girl like you doing up there?"

"Actually, I've been doing this for 57 years." Though she spoke softly, the hard edge in her voice was unmistakable.

"Oh shit! _57 years? _That's like…well, a really long time!" George exclaimed impudently.

"Tell me about it." A tiny hint of a smile played across Charlie's lips for a moment.

Rube banged his cup of coffee down on the Formica table, sloshing coffee onto the table and Mason's lap. Reacting to the intense heat, Mason jumped up and squealed, "Oh, bullocks, Rube, that's _really fucking hot!" _Rube tossed him a wad of napkins silently. Charlie watched on, calmly, her smile gone and blank expression back in place.

Daisy glanced around, waiting a moment to see if anyone was about to say anything. Finding that they were not about to make introductions, Daisy took the reins of the conversation.

Extending a hand, Daisy smiled at Charlie and said, "I'm Daisy, Daisy Adair. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Charlie shook her hand and responded equally as warmly, "Good to meet you as well." Daisy languidly motioned to her companions. "You know Rube, the British fellow is Mason, Roxy's the cop with the temper, and this is Georgia."

George glared at Daisy and told Charlie with a scowl, "It's George. Just George."

"Nice to meet you, Just George." They stared at each other for a moment. George was snapped back to reality for the second time that morning by Rube's extraordinarily surly demeanor. "Assignments, now." He slapped a post-it in front of each reaper. "You, you, you, and you. Have a good fucking morning." Daisy and Mason slid out of the booth to allow Rube to stomp away. Wordlessly, he handed Charlie a post-it, and left with his coat over his shoulder. There was a pause, and Charlie quietly said, "It was nice to meet you all." She turned to leave, and as she walked away she called back, "I'd watch out for that guy, Mason. He's not gonna give you a fair deal." As the door to the waffle house swung shut behind her, Daisy, Mason, and Roxy looked at each other in bewilderment.

Mason was stupefied. "What…I don't know what she…how did she…._who_ is she?" Daisy shrugged noncommittally.

"This is some fucked up shit…" Roxy swirled her coffee and examined her post-it. George stared down at her muffin in disgust.

"Way to ruin the Jane Mansfield…" She got up and draped her coat over her arm. "I have to go to work. See you all later."


End file.
